South Bay Lakers Drop Home Contest to Westchester

The South Bay Lakers fell to the Westchester Knicks by a 131-116 final tally Monday evening at UCLA Health Training Center, taking their NBA G League regular season record to 15-11. Two-way player Skylar Mays paced South Bay in scoring with 24 points, while Duane Washington Jr. led the way for Westchester (8-19) with 31.

A quick start from behind the arc saw the Lakers build an early double-digit lead in the contest. Four South Bay players scored 8+ in the quarter, as the opening frame proved to be a true team effort. The Lakers led 42-36 after one.

The Knicks responded in the second frame, storming back to the take the lead. 20 first half points from Westchester guard Duane Washington Jr. helped boost the Knicks to a five-point halftime lead, 69-74. Skylar Mays led the Lakers at the break with 17.

Westchester started the second half with a similar rhythm to the way they closed the first. A 18-8 run saw the Knicks claim a 13-point lead with eight minutes remaining in the period. The Lakers trailed by 11 going into the final frame. South Bay could never get back into the game in the fourth quarter, struggling to find any sort of rhythm. The Lakers eventually fell by a final score of 131-116.

Mays finished with 24 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and one steal in 40 minutes, while Bryce Hamilton added 22 points, four rebounds and two assists in 34 minutes. Shaq Harrison tallied 20 points to go along with eight boards six assists and six steals.

For the Knicks, Washington Jr. registered 31 points, grabbed one rebound and dished out two assists, while Brandon Goodwin posted 26 points, brought down six rebounds and shelled out six assists.

Up next, South Bay will play in a rematch against the same Westchester Knicks on Wednesday, March 13, at 7 p.m. PT at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo.